Human Hogyoku Ulquiorra x Reader
by Qudirl Rider Aeona
Summary: Memories were erased for your protection, but it only made you more vulnerable now that they know what you could do. Despite their beliefs of humans being insects, you hold something of incredible value to them. It may end in many ways. After all, humanity makes one very unpredictable. (( Not my picture, might change it soon. All characters belong to Tite Kubo except you))
1. Normality Maybe not?

**This is my first x Reader fic so I would really like some feedback please.**

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**Normality. Maybe Not?**

I sighed and ran my hand through my (h/l), (h/c) hair before returning to scrubbing the floor of the restaurant I worked in. Well it wasn't just any restaurant, it was my aunt's business franchise.

I had my own apartment since I moved out a few years ago, set up close to the university I was going to. The classes were difficult and I was barely able to pull together the money to pay for it with how busy I am, not to mention that I had to pay for the repairs to my apartment room. I swear it was the midget men who climbed out of the sink, I saw them! Nobody believed me though. My few friends thought I was joking or was high, but I never did drugs or marijuana, drank a few times but I haven't been drunk since last year. Despite that, I _know_ there's some weird supernatural shit going on.

"_!" Aunt Clare called from the back, making me groan before tossing the brush into the bucket. I got up onto my feet and carried it with me past the service counter, dropping it by the drainage sink before finding her.

"What is it?" I asked irritably, brushing my hair out of my eyes. I needed a shower soon but I haven't been home since early this morning.

"You finished cleaning up, yes?" she inquired, peering at me through her square, red glasses.

"Yes, I'm done and the restaurant is closed. Nobody's left but us." It was already past eleven o'clock, not leaving me much time to get home and do my homework. How the hell did I survive this long?

My aunt nodded and shoved an envelope in my face before strutting away, making me scrambled in my surprise. I heaved a sigh and opened it up, finding my weekly check in it...

I stepped outside of the restaurant before letting out an annoyed shout. I knew she was paying me less! But I needed _some_money coming in, it was hard to find any other job with the schedule I had.

Going back inside and gathering my things, I put away my black apron and hurried out the back of the restaurant, making my way down to the bus stop. I could see the bus already and I waved my arm up, trying to catch the driver's attention. "Wait! Stop!"

Aaaaaaand it's gone...

I released another agonized groan and hefted my bag on my shoulder and checked my phone before turning to walk home through the park. It was already dark out, but this wasn't the first time I had to walk the hour home. That was the last bus too. Ugh, my day has just been getting better and better.

Walking under the trees in the park, I looked down at my (f/c) shoes stepping on the pavement. Only a few lamps lit the path but it was enough for me to see where I was going. A sudden chill went down my back and I looked up, glancing around the park as I slowed. My ears strained to listen and I heard a dog barking in the distance, there was a yelp followed by silence. My eyes widened and I gulped, already speeding up to a run. No way was I safe out here.

A tree crashed down nearby and I jumped in surprise, whipping my head around to see a freaking monster?! It's head was wide like a hammerhead shark and it had multiple spines on it's back. The eyes were black with glowing dots of yellow, eyes which were looking directly at me. The thing altogether looked boney and huge, appendages elongating from it's elbows and heels. The mouth on it's mask-like face opened and there appeared to be smoke and blood dripping from between it's long, sharp teeth. What the hell was this thing?!

Suddenly I realized that I had felt this fear before and my mind was wracking around trying to remember. The terrifying presence of the thing was horribly familiar. It let out a roar and swiped a large hand at me, causing me to be blown off my feet and into a tree, scattering the belongings that were in my bag everywhere.

"Gah!" The impact drove the breath out of me and I slid to the ground from there, trembling as I tried to get back up. It ran on all fours toward me and I didn't even have another chance to run as it clamped it's large jaws down on my left shoulder. I let out an ear-splitting scream as it kept moving forward, bowling over the tree and pinning me down beneath itself.

I struggled against it and hammered at it's hard face with my fisted hand, but it didn't seem to be doing any good. The monster was now still but kept it's teeth in my shoulder, keeping me from going anywhere. What the hell was it doing? Drinking my blood?

No, it wasn't my blood that was draining away, it was my energy. Pretty soon my shaking hand dropped to the ground as it slowly made me weaker. Spots were swimming in front of my eyes and I barely saw the quick flash, suddenly feeling the claws off of my body.

I lay there in a daze as I vaguely saw someone wearing black slash at the monster again with a sword. They both traveled out of my vision as they fought, my eyes sliding closed as someone else knelt down and gently collected me in their arms. I still had some energy in me, enough to stay alive at least. Eventually there was an explosion before I heard the first person coming back. "This is the third time this girl was attacked, I really don't think she's safe."

The third time? But I only saw this monster tonight. What's going on?

This time it was the second person who spoke. "That hollow came after her again for round two, apparently it didn't get a bite when it ran last time. Her reiatsu is rather unique."

I couldn't make heads or tails of what they were saying, but this was definitely the first time I saw that monster. A hollow, that's what they called it right?

"Can you hear me?" The person holding me asked and it was a moment before I could manage a weak nod. I heard a sigh of relief as their grip tightened. Something pressed onto my injured shoulder and I lurched, a small cry of pain escaping my lips.

"Ikkaku you idiot, don't hurt her!" The one holding me moved me away from the one called Ikkaku, what an odd name. I cracked my eyes open a bit to see the man, his dark chin-length hair framing either side of his face. His eyes turned down to me and his face seemed to fill with delight. "Oh good, you really are awake. Allow me to use a fair bit of Kaido on you."

The unnamed man held his hand over my injured shoulder and I turned my head to see green light fill his palm. My eyes widened at the sight as I watched in wonder. He chuckled at my expression before answering my unspoken question. "This is Kaido, I'm restoring your energy and healing you. That hollow nearly drained everything you had."

My (e/c) eyes flicked back to him and he seemed to be surprised for a moment. "Oh I nearly forgot, my name's Yumichika, although you won't be remembering any of this later."

"What?" I was confused about everything still and I struggled to sit up, Yumichika helping me. I could feel energy flowing back into me although my shoulder still hurt from the bite. "Who are you people? What was that thing? How are you doing that with the green light?"

I had so many questions to ask but Ikkaku placed a large hand on my head to make me stop, letting out an annoyed grunt. Yumichika looked at me apologetically before standing, helping me up onto my feet. "Let's get you home first."

Nodding, I began to gather my things, finding that my check had been stomped into the dirt. There was a sandal print on it and I glared over at Ikkaku, who lifted his eyebrows at me in confusion as to why I was staring at him angrily. I sighed and shoved it into my bag along with the rest of the things Yumichika helped to pick up.

"Hold on there lady," Ikkaku said as he stopped me from walking forward. I raised an eyebrow at him as he turned around and crouched down a bit, patting his shoulder. I glanced at the other man in black and he gave me a shrug. The bald man turned his head to look at me with an annoyed expression. "Don't just stand there, climb on. You'll get home faster this way."

My mouth opened in an 'O' shape and I got on his back, the man immediately bolting off as I wrapped my arms around his neck in surprise. He was jumping up higher than anyone I've ever seen and the city was whipping past below us as we traveled. What would've been a forty-five minutes walk was down to three minutes before we landed on my balcony.

I was still pale and windswept as I kept clutching onto his back and shoulders, startled when Yumichika moved to peel me off of the other man. They gently steered me into my apartment and sat me down on the couch, putting my bag on the table.

"Look here please," Yumichika said with a plastic smile as he held up what looked like a lighter. Like an idiot I looked at it as he flicked it, causing a small explosion as my mind went blank and I passed out.

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**I know not much has happened yet, but you get the gist of what's been going on with your life.**


	2. Abduction

**sustisama:** What personality? Eheh, I haven't really defined much of a personality yet since this is only my first xReader fic. I just thought I should have Reader-chan react to situations as most people would, ya'know, running from monsters instead of grabbing a stick and trying to fight it. Thank you for the review!

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**Abduction**

"No I swear! There was a-a whole- HERD of jackalopes messing around in the park last night!" I waved my arms and gestured frantically as I tried to explain what I had seen.

My friend Megumi just looked at me with that expression of pure disbelief and just overall DONE with what I was saying. "Mhm, tell me more about these _jackalopes_ _."

I made a distressed noise and crossed my arms at the tone of her voice. I'm not crazy!... Am I? Megumi sighed and shifted her sitting position to face me. "Look, I don't know what those marks on your shoulder are, but I really don't think it was an animal or whatever. If it was, it would've been a really big animal for a bite like that. Besides, it looks like it's weeks old and already healed."

The faint marks were clear to see since I was wearing a (p/c ~ pick any colour) spaghetti strap top and I ran my hand over them lightly. "They weren't there yesterday though, you know that."

The bell rang to signal the end of my break and I got up, grabbing my bag and shoving my study notes in them. Sarah waved me off as I began walking to the door of the university cafe. "Good luck on your test _!"

I threw a wave back at her before pushing the door open with my shoulder, exiting into the main hallway. There was that sensation of someone watching me again and I shrugged it off once more, pulling out my (p/c) sweater and putting it on to cover the marks on my shoulder again.

Three hours and several silent frustrations later, I nursed a headache as I walked home to prepare for my job at my aunt's restaurant. Man, I didn't do well on the test despite having studied with Megumi, and I panicked my way through most of it. Hefting my bag on my shoulder again, I waited to cross the busy street as the many cars went by.

I looked across and spotted a peculiar person on the other side, a shiver going down my back as I realized their green eyes were staring at me. He was wearing all white clothes and some kind of spiked, half helmet on one side of his head over long, shaggy, black hair. A couple of green lines streaked down his white face and I wondered just who he was.

A bus whizzed past between us and as soon as it was gone, so was he. I blinked and rubbed my eyes, wondering if what I saw was real at all. That was way too fast for a normal person to just disappear like that. Someone pushed past me and I realized that the lights had changed, making me hurry across the street. Whoever that guy was, I was probably just seeing things due to stress. It really felt like his eyes were piercing through me though.

Maybe I should take the evening off from work, call in sick? No. I couldn't afford to do that.

Hurrying home, I fumbled with my keys a bit before finally getting the door open and piling into my apartment. Something urged me to lock the balcony door and I walked over to do so, unsure of why I would need to since I lived on the fourth floor. Peering through the glass I found nothing unusual and just shrugged it off, turning to put away my stuff.

"If you're going to lock up, the front door would be the better place to start." My eyes widened and I whipped my head to see the door open, that man I saw across the street closing the door gently. Now that he was just several feet away, I could see the sword he had on his hip as well as just how uncannily emotionless his face was.

"Wha- Who are you?" I asked, moving away and a little closer to the house phone on the counter. My cell was still in my bag and I wouldn't be able to get to it in time if this guy did anything. As far as I know, a stranger had just waltzed into my apartment without a knock or a warning. Well he didn't waltz in, but the entry was pretty casual.

There was a sound of tapping on glass and my eyes flicked to the balcony, where I could see a huge, muscular man knocking on the window. He wore white as well, along with what looked like a white bone jaw over his chin. Who were these people? No way could a normal person be that huge and get this high up the building to get on my balcony.

"Aizen-sama has ordered for you to be brought before him." The green-eyed one spoke again, completely ignoring my question.

"Aizen? Who's that? Who are you?!" I demanded. To be quite honest I was freaked out by this point, there was a certain... aura around him that frightened me. I just wanted him to leave but I wasn't sure how to urge it.

He removed one hand from his pockets and raised it up toward me before making a motion with his fingers. The wall next to my head exploded and I yelped in surprise, jumping away again.

_"Do not speak his name so freely, trash."_

What the hell was that?! He blasted a hole in the wall with a flick of his hand!

My arms were up to shield my head and face as my wide (e/c) eyes stared at him in fear. The atmosphere was heavier and I wasn't sure if it was me or his power.

I opened my mouth to speak and I didn't even see what happened. He was suddenly an arm's length away instead of several feet by the door and his hand was over my face, covering my mouth and nose so I couldn't breath or speak as I was pressed against the wall. Scrambling to get his hand off my face, I made strangled whimpering noises as he kept his vise-like grip.

"You don't have any right to speak. You are not just human, you are a mere insect. An insect which doesn't know it is one." Despite the aggression of his action, his face and voice remained completely emotionless. This action wasn't made out of anger, it was more like he made it his duty to enforce this discipline into me. Each move, each word, was calculated and with purpose. This was someone who didn't waste time.

Once it seemed his point got through, he allowed me to collapse to my knees in heaving gasps as I tried to get my breath back. The sound of shattering glass indicated that the larger man had come in from the balcony. He had to stoop a bit since he was twice as tall as the green-eyed one, and so much bigger. He spoke in a booming voice and with a cocky tone. "Shit, this place is small."

I was trembling from where I sat on the floor, tears threatening to burst forth. Even I was smart enough to know that these men were dangerous and way out of the norm.

Taking heed of his warning, I refrained from speaking as he held out a hand to the middle of the room. There was a crackling noise like static as the very air ripped apart, opening a tear in space that allowed us to see a large white hall on the other side. I couldn't help the gasp that escaped me at the sight. How was any of this possible?

"Get up."

The order was simple, but I was afraid of what he would do if I crossed him again. Using the wall to get back on my feet, I was visibly shaking from fear. What was going to happen to me now? What did they want from me? Why me?

The green-eyed one walked through the opening and the larger one gave me a rough shove forward, making me stagger before I caught my footing again. I glanced at the door to my apartment, wondering if I could make a run for it now that the green-eyed one was through the hole, the other guy on my other side. No wait! Now he's blocking the door. How did he move so fast?!

"Don't even think about it," he growled menacingly, making me shrink into myself slightly before I dropped my gaze to the floor. There was no way to escape now.

"Please, come in." The new voice made me look up and I realized that what I thought was a wall was actually a really tall dias, with a throne on top. His tone of voice was warm and inviting, giving me some sense of hope that what I was heading into wasn't all that bad. I know I was just reassuring myself, but it's better than imagining the bad things that could happen.

Taking a tentative step forward, I walked through the opening into the large hall. There were other people in here as well, most of them with some kind of partial bone mask on their faces. All of them looked intimidating, especially the man getting up from his seat on the throne. He wore his brown hair down in a kind of rugged style with his bangs brushing above his left eye, brown eyes framed with large eye glasses.

The man stood and extended a hand toward me from the tall dias he stood upon, a smile on his face.

"Welcome to the castle of Las Noches."


	3. I'm Special?

**I'm Special?**

_"Welcome to the castle of Las Noches."_

The man who greeted me stood tall upon the dais with a kind smile that seemed out of place in the intimidating atmosphere this room had. There were a few people in the room who seemed angry to see me, a few more looking at me with interest. The rest of them didn't seem to care, looking toward the man with glasses. There was something big covered by a large white sheet in the middle of the room.

"I am Aizen Sousuke," he said, introducing himself with that slight smile. "May I ask what your name is?"

I looked toward the green-eyed man, afraid to speak after his warning. But he was walking away to stand around the edges of the room along with the others, leaving me alone in the center of the hall. I turned my (e/c) eyes back to Aizen, who was patiently waiting for me to answer. "_-_ _."

"_... A lovely name." Aizen smiled and sat back down on the throne. "Do you know why you're here _?"

I shook my head in response. Neither of the men told me anything when they brought me here.

"Hmm," he mused, his brown eyes flicking over to the one who brought me here. "I suppose I will explain to you myself."

Aizen turned his attention back to me. "Are you aware of what a hollow is? Arrancar? Shinigami?"

The whole prospect of what he was saying confused me and I shook my head slowly. "I don't know what any of those are."

"Well then to make things easier, you are currently surrounded by Arrancar." I immediately glanced around at the other people in the room as he spoke. "Hollows who have been changed by the Hogyoku to GAIN more power."

None of this made any sense to me, and Aizen seemed to notice that, slightly leaning forward in his chair. "I assume you don't remember your last encounter with a hollow?"

"N-no, I don't know what they are," I told him, trying to keep my voice under control. There was a sense of maliciousness in the air, a presence of danger which seemed to fill the whole space. I've never been able to feel these things so strongly before.

"The Shinigami have used a Kikanshinki on you, so of course you wouldn't remember. But do you remember anything... strange that have recently happened to you?" My hand slid up my left arm to my shoulder, where the strange marks had mysteriously appeared this morning. _The Jackalopes._ I nodded slowly in response. Aizen smirked and made a motion of his hand before someone with closed eyes and silver hair walked up, he looked like a snake with that close-lipped smile to be honest. The unknown man moved toward the cloth-covered object as Aizen kept speaking.

"Your memory has been tampered with, to hide the truth from you. The truth of your power." The silvery-haired person pulled away the cloth in a swift motion, revealing a, for lack of a better word, monster. A gasp escaped me and I covered my mouth, taking an unintentional step back from the thing.

It's head was wide like a hammerhead shark and it had multiple spines on it's back. The eyes were black and empty, as though they held no life in them any longer. The thing altogether looked boney and huge, appendages elongating from it's elbows and heels. But it was lifeless, it didn't move from it's collapsed position on the floor. There it was, that sense of familiarity as I gazed upon it. It's boney face was cracked diagonally over the top of it's head and across it's face.

"This is the hollow you were helping. By drawing on your reiatsu it has doubled it's power, now it should be ready to transform into it's new self." There was an uneasy feeling in my stomach as a deep cracking sound came from the hollow. Then it shattered in a flashing white light, pieces of hardened black flesh and white bone falling to the floor around a slightly smaller form. There was a _person_ there now, shakily lifting itself up into a kneeling position. The white face it had before was now broken, a large piece of it stuck to the top and side of it's face, curling under it's jaw. It was like a broken mask.

"Haaaaannnn... haaaannnnnnn," it breathed out, opening and closing it's teeth as it held itself up unsteadily. Their black and gold eyes fixed on me and I instinctively stepped back until I felt hands from behind me gently holding my shoulders.

"Incredible isn't it," Aizen spoke, leaning down with his chin hovering over my shoulder. I was startled by his suddenly being behind me, how he came down from that throne so fast was beyond me. His hands at my shoulders prevented me from moving anywhere due to his gentle, yet firm grip. " Amazing how you can give birth to an Arrancar."

Wait what? _I_ did this? _I made this thing?_ The mere thought of it horrified me but I couldn't look away from the creature. There's no way I would've done anything like this and not remember.

"Haaaaannnnn..." it kept saying, it's voice growing deeper as it growled. It shifted into a crouching position as it's eyes pierced into mine like a predator. My own eyes widened and I screamed when it launched itself at me, shutting my eyes and raising my arms in a pitiful attempt to defend myself.

The impact, the clawing, the ripping and biting never came, but I couldn't open my eyes. Aizen's hands were still at my shoulders, he hadn't move, and he hadn't let me run.

"Very good, Ulquiorra."

My (e/c) eyes snapped open and I saw the Arrancar on the ground at my feet, an entire side of it's head gone. I lifted my gaze to see the green-eyed man, Ulquiorra I think it was, with his hand out of his pocket with fingers directed at where the Arrancar once was. I was visibly shaken and I hugged myself tightly, moving away from the pooling blood now that Aizen had let go of me.

"_," he said and I jumped, whipping my eyes to him as he moved around in front of me. The man didn't seem to care the someone was killed _right in front of him!_ I was inwardly panicking, wanting to go home and away from all these scary people. Whatever they were demanding from me, I wanted no part of it.

"_, you have a very wonderful gift. A power which was wasted on a low hollow such as this one." Aizen spoke smoothly and in praise to me, but I have no idea what exactly it was I did.

"W-why am I h-here?" I asked in a shaky voice, trembling out of fear. But they must have assumed it was because it was my first time seeing a dead body.

"You were not brought here so we could harm you, if that is what you're thinking," he answered casually. It did little to quell the fear continually rising within me. Aizen pushed his glasses back up his nose with a finger before smiling gently. "I ordered them to bring you here so I may ask for your help."

What?

Help?

Why?

He wasn't answering my questions and his vague replies frustrated me. I just want to go home!

"You're gift, is what I need to create more Arrancar, to assist them into a new life and a new power."

"Why?" I shouted, making him raise an eyebrow slightly. "Why me? What do I have that you want? I have nothing! I'm just a student at university!"

He had already told me of what he _thought_ I could do, but I was denying it, wishing it wasn't true. Suddenly it felt like I was being weighed down, like tons of heavy water was hitting my head and shoulders.

"You are the human embodiment of a powerful object," Aizen said before I could shout at him again. "You are a Hogyoku, a human Hogyoku."

The pressure wasn't lifting and I was barely able to hold myself up, my legs shaking as I grit my teeth. This was bad. I was being pushed down and they haven't even _touched_ me.

"Now, the way I see things at the moment, there is nothing useful you can provide besides this power. Considering I already _have_ a Hogyoku..." He didn't even need to finish as I realized what he was implying; if I don't prove useful to them, they'll kill me. The brown-haired male's face lit up when he saw my expression. "Good, you understand what this means for you."

Some of the strange people in the room were grinning at the fact that I was trapped, there was no other way to make it out of this alive. Even if I did run, I had no idea where I was and surely these people would find me again. The pressure was finally lifted off and I could stand properly again, albeit and little fatigued from that.

Aizen seemed to disappear from before me and it was a moment before I realized he had moved back up on top of the dias. Shit these people were fast!

"Ulquiorra, you will watch over _," he ordered and the green-eyed man nodded. "You are all dismissed."

That was when the other people started leaving the hall, some of them silent while others muttered things as they left. I continued to stand there, hugging myself protectively as the malicious atmosphere withered away to emptiness.

"Follow me," Ulqiorra uttered in an emotionless tone, walking past me to the exit. My feet automatically moved after him, my footsteps echoing and bouncing throughout the nearly empty hall. I glanced back at Aizen and he gave me a close-lipped smile from where he sat, raising a hand as a goodbye while his eyes pierced me. Whipping my head to face forward again, I ran to catch up to Ulquiorra who had gone ahead at a quick pace.

The halls were awfully quiet and cold as we walked through them, the place was so big I couldn't tell what direction we were going or how far we'd walked. I kept looking at his back as we walked, seeing his totally emotionless stance with his hands in his pockets. He still had his sword on him although i've never seen him draw it.

Eventually he stopped next to a door and turned to face me. "You will be staying here."

I glanced between him and the white door for a moment before reaching out and grabbing the handle. Opening it and walking into the room, I found everything was white like everything else. The door slammed closed behind me and made me jump before whipping around and trying to open it, jiggling the lock a moment before I gave up.

Backing up until I sat on the edge of the bed, I thought about my life before I was brought here. Pulling my knees up to my chest, I tried and failed to avoid imagining what my life was gonna be from here on out as I began to sob helplessly.


	4. Strength

**Sorry it took me so long to update this, but I finally got over my writer's block and did something. Enjoy~**

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**Strength**

There was a knock on my door an hour later, the person not even waiting for an answer before coming in. I was curled up on my side in the bed, not bothering to look as they closed the door behind them. My eyes were slightly puffy from the cry I had just finished a moment ago, feeling a sort of numbness inside. I hoped the numbness would stay...

"Aizen-sama sent me to give you these." Ulquiorra's voice gave me a queasiness and only served to remind me that I'm not home, where I wanted to be. There was a slight sound of him putting something down on the bed behind me before I heard the door open again. "He expects you to wear it while you're in Hueco Mundo and extends an invitation to dinner with him."

His steps were near silent as he left the room, closing it behind him. I continued to lay there for several moments before lifting myself up in a sitting position, eyes on the ground before I could actually look over to what he brought me. Picking up the folded white clothing, I lay them out to see what they actually looked like.

The shirt had a wide neckline and elbow length sleeves, the hem going down to a decent length while it was all lined in black. The skirt was short, reaching about midthigh and it came along with a wide black belt studded with what looked like moonstones. The white boots appeared to be knee high from where they rested next to the long coat with a big hood.

Staring at them a moment longer before starting to change, I thought about what Aizen had told me just an hour ago. I swear I had no idea any of this existed, but he said my memories had been tampered with. It made sense now that I had thought about it. Midgets could never really climb out of the sink could they? And Jackalopes weren't real either. Releasing a sigh as I pulled on the boots, I couldn't help but feel a little stupid and more than naive.

Looking myself in the full length mirror on one side of the room, I noted that the wide neckline revealed both my shoulders, the hem of the shirt just above my belly button. It felt a little revealing so I pulled the coat on as well. The sleeves of the coat went just past my elbows and sported a rather roomy hood that I liked, the coat opened at the front from the hips down and the hem reached down to a few inches above the ground, giving it a sweeping, flowing quality as I walked.

A knock sounded at the door and Ulquiorra walked in without waiting for an answer, did he not know manners? How rude.

"Come with me," he ordered bluntly, already turning to leave the room. "Aizen-sama is expecting you."

I glanced at the mirror one more time before moving to follow him, keeping some distance between myself and him walking in front of me. An uneasy silence fell as we walked and I didn't want to break it after the experience I had of his basically suffocating me with his hand over my face. The walk was long and I couldn't tell the time of day in these tall white corridors.

We passed by a few other people with partial masks and a couple of them leered at me, but they glanced at Ulquiorra and walked away. I assumed that Ulquiorra was one of the higher ups in this place for them to leave us alone like they were.

The walk was long but we soon came up to a huge set of double doors which opened as soon as we were near. The hall on the other side was not as big as where the throne was, but it still held extravagance in it's size. A long table stretched out in the centre of the room, chairs with ridiculously high backs surrounding it. Aizen was seated at the end of the table furthest from the door, the man standing up when he saw us come in and putting out a hand in a welcome gesture. "Ah, how delightful for you to join me, (First)."

"Th... The pleasure is mine..." I clasped my hands together when I could feel his large, intimidating presence again. I didn't look at Ulquiorra as he turned right around to leave the hall, the large doors closing behind him.

"Please, come sit." Aizen gestured to the chair immediately to his right, where there was already a plate of food and a glass set. "Let's not be strangers here."

Stepping forward, I made my way to the chair and sat myself down in it. A glance up at him and I could see the gentle smile he had on his face as he sat down again, letting out a sigh. "I apologize for any discomfort you may have experienced when you first stepped into this castle. And in the other hall I had to be quite frank with you, can't have the others believing I'll go soft just for you. They might just take advantage of that."

I didn't smile as he spoke, hesitantly picking up the chopsticks and looking at my plate as I nodded in response. I wasn't all that interested in the food, but I hadn't eaten anything for at least several hours, so I ate.

For the most part he just asked about me and my interests, poking and prodding at me to engage in a conversation I didn't want to have, giving him short answers in response out of politeness. After a while he simply sat and stared, his chin resting on his palm while his elbow was on the table, it unnerved me to say the least, but I didn't want to look at him.

When I did take the chance to glance up at him, I could see the small smile, bordering a knowing smirk below half-lidded eyes which looked at me in amusement through his large square glasses. I quickly dropped my gaze back down to the table when I realized it turned out to be longer than what could pass as a glance. Despite the evil-but-nice-stepdad appearance he had, I wondered a moment how much more handsome he would look without the glasses and with a proper haircut.

I mentally slapped myself for such a foolish thought having invaded my mind. He was the mastermind behind my abduction and forced cooperation, I can't be thinking of anyone being handsome right now- ESPECIALLY when he had reached out to tuck a few strands of loose hair behind my ear.

I stiffened at the contact and willed myself not to flinch as his thumb brushed the shell of my ear, tucking those few strands before he leaned back in his chair to observe my reaction. Despite it being barely any contact, I couldn't help but feel a sense of violation from it, from the touch, from his piercing stare, from his somehow making my heart pound in my chest. It wasn't nervousness or shyness that made me feel this way.

It was terror.

It felt as though a large, cold hand was wrapped around my throat, telling me to surrender and crushing any harbouring hopes I had of ever returning home. It weighed me down with dread and depression, squeezed my heart until I felt I couldn't breath, couldn't cry or scream for someone to help me. I felt myself falling into a vortex of pain and misery, slowly and increasingly becoming dispassionate somewhere along the way.

I shot up onto my feet and all those terrible feelings vanished, cleared away and gone from my heart and mind. Blinking in confusion I glanced over at Aizen to see his eyebrows a mere fraction of an inch higher than they were before, expressing slight surprise as well as what seemed to be a sliver of pride. Again my eyes dropped to the table and I witnessed my hands trembling where they lay flat on the glossy white surface.

Lifting them from the table, I brought my hands to my chest and clenched them together in a poor attempt to cease the tremors, but it was difficult when I could feel his eyes boring holes through me.

"Is something the matter dear (First)?" He asked me in a concerned tone which somehow betrayed his contempt on the issue.

"I..." I swallowed thickly before trying again, I couldn't keep my voice from being slightly higher than it usually was. "I don't feel good... May I go back to my room?"

The brown-haired male watched me a few moments longer before waving me off with a slow motion of his hand. "Yes, you may be excused. We shall have to have dinner together again soon."

I honestly didn't want to see him again, preferring to just stay in my room away from any and all of them. Nodding stiffly I hurried to the huge double doors and pushed at one of them, the huge slab of white marble not moving. Aizen chuckled quietly behind me and I felt embarrassed as I stepped back from the doors again, then it slid open and Ulquiorra was waiting on the other side, his hands in his pockets as usual.

Like before, he turned and started walking down the hall, me following him with my hands still clasped to my chest. There was no explanation that made sense to me, what made me feel all that... negativity? I was sure it wasn't the physical contact, other guys have tucked my hair behind my ear before... Maybe it was because I was in a strange place with strange people and it terrified me... Yeah... that makes sense.

My inner babbling had helped me calm down and pass the time as Ulquiorra led the way back to my room, I was almost grateful he had no interest in talking to me. It helped to calm me in a way, although his presence was still rather frightening after my experiences with him.

He stopped walking when we had reached my room and I led myself in this time, looking back as he closed and locked the door behind me as he did before, only this time I didn't bother to try the knob. Pulling off my coat as I walked over to my bed, I tossed it onto a nearby chair before flopping down on top of the sheets.

A loud cross between a groan and a sigh was released from my throat before I flipped over onto my back again, looking at the vaulted white ceiling of my room. That experience in the dining room was strange... But, better not to strain myself thinking about it.

I pulled off my while boots and found basic white pajamas in one of the drawers, changing into them before crawling to bed and letting sleep roll over and take me.

**{Aizen's POV}**

The young woman disappeared through the doorway after Ulquiorra, the huge white doors sliding shut as I hummed to myself in amusement.

"She's got some unusual reiatsu for a human..."

I did not bother to look at the Gin as he stepped out of the shadows from where he had been watching, a serpentine smile ever present on his features. I had known of his presence in the room and he in turn realized my knowledge of it, not bothering to hide now that the girl had left the room.

"Yes, she is quite strong." I sat back in my chair as I felt Gin's watchful gaze from the side. "It will serve her well."

It somehow fascinates me that he could have such an effect even though his eyes were always shut. But he knew very well what I meant by my words. Her strength and ability will serve me by being my tool, in turn protecting herself as long as she remained useful. And the silver-haired man knew I had no use for weak tools which break all too easily.

For her to have been able to stand against my spiritual pressure at a twenty-third of it's strength was a magnificent feat which rivalled a majority of the Shinigami within the Seireitei. It quite surprised me to say the least. She struggled at first, but (First) eventually broke through it... Impressive.

In a smooth motion, I stood up from my seat and took off my glasses, running a hand through my hair for a moment before putting them back on, walking toward the exit.

"I would like to speak with her more but the other Captains expect my return tomorrow." It turned my head slightly to peer at Gin from the corner of my eye, conveying the rest of my instructions in a glance to which he nodded in understanding, chuckling lowly.

And with that I made my leave.

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